From ‘border to the backyard’: Dutton’s crime crackdown
Tess Ikonomou |
Parents would be able to check whether they’re living near a child sex offender under an election promise by Peter Dutton to stamp out crime from the “border to the backyard”.
Should the coalition win the May 3 election, it will spend more than $750 million to improve community safety by tightening laws and the nation’s borders, in addition to extra resources for policing and intelligence agencies.
Under Operation Safer Communities, $355 million in extra funding would go to national law enforcement authorities to crackdown on illegal drugs.
A pilot national sex offenders disclosure scheme would be set up to give parents more information about criminals in their communities.
The coalition plan would see new laws introduced to disrupt organised criminal syndicates, including strengthening proceeds of crime and unexplained wealth laws.
Drug laws would be streamlined across the country to close gaps and improve cross-border police cooperation.
Mr Dutton claimed safety had been compromised by Labor’s “weak leadership and bad decisions”.
“I have the experience and determination to stand up to the outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime syndicates which are wreaking havoc on our streets and in our communities,” he said.
“I will strengthen laws and provide more funding for our police and intelligence agencies to stop the crime gangs, protect our borders, and protect our community.”
A new dedicated taskforce led by the Australian Federal Police, would be set up to tackle anti-Semitism in the community.
Australia’s screening and detection capabilities would be upgraded to help catch more drugs at the border and stop their entry into communities.
Authorities would also target the importation and distribution of date rape drugs used to spike drinks.
Crime Stoppers would also be given $7.5 million over three years to expand its operations and help protect more people from offending in local communities.
The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation would have its funding doubled.
The coalition has also promised to make it illegal to post content glamourising criminal activity online and ban offenders from using social media for two years.
AAP
